my homework lesson 8 solve two step word problems

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Two step word problems

Two-step word problems

Here you will learn about two-step word problems, including how to solve a two-step word problem, how to represent these problems using equations, and how to assess the reasonableness of answers.

Students will first learn about two-step word problems as part of operations and algebraic thinking in 3 rd grade and will continue using this skill throughout elementary and middle school.

What are two-step word problems?

Two-step word problems are word problems or story problems that require two steps to find the answer. These two steps can involve the same operation or two different operations.

To solve a two-step word problem, you must read the problem carefully before identifying each of the two steps. After identifying the two steps, you can write an equation for each step. Then you will need to solve each equation in order before arriving at the final answer.

For example,

Sarah had \$15. She spent \$8 on a new book. Then her mom gave her \$5. How much money does she have now?

We can break down the problem into steps and write an equation.

Sarah starts with \$15, so this is the starting number.

Then she spends \$8 on a new book. This means you need to subtract \$8. This is step one .

x represents the amount of money Sarah has after buying the book.

Next, Sarah receives \$5 from her mom. This needs to be added to the remaining amount from step one. This is step two .

t represents the total of money Sarah has after her mom gave her \$5 .

Sarah has \$12 now.

You can also write an equation showing both steps and use the order of operations rules to solve.

After solving the problem, you should ask yourself: Is my answer reasonable?

You can use quick mental math or estimation to see if your answer is reasonable.

You can round the \$8 to \$10 to make the estimation easier.

\$15-\$10 + \$5 = \$10, so Sarah has about \$10 left. This means the answer of \$12 is reasonable.

Common Core State Standards

How does this relate to 3 rd grade math and 4 th grade math?

• Grade 3 – Operations and Algebraic Thinking (3.OA.D.8) Solve two-step word problems using the four operations. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.
• Grade 4 – Operations and Algebraic Thinking (4.OA.A.3) Solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having whole-number answers using the four operations, including problems in which remainders must be interpreted. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.

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How to solve two-step word problems

In order to solve two-step word problems:

Identify the first step and write an equation.

Identify the second step and write an equation.

Solve the equations in order.

Assess the reasonableness of your answer.

Two-step word problems examples

Example 1: two-step addition (same operation).

Hannah bought 2 bags of candy for trick-or-treaters. One bag had 78 pieces of candy and the other had 92 pieces of candy. Hannah’s friend came over and dumped another bag of candy in the bowl. This bag had 124 pieces of candy. How many pieces of candy are in the bowl altogether?

First, you need to find out the total number of pieces Hannah dumped into the bowl from her two bags.

2 Identify the second step and write an equation.

Next, you need to add the total pieces that Hannah’s friend dumped into Hannah’s total from the previous step.

3 Solve the equations in order.

There are a total of 294 pieces of candy in the bowl.

4 Assess the reasonableness of your answer.

You can use mental math or estimation to see if your answer is reasonable.

You can quickly round each number to 100, which gives you a total of 300 pieces of candy. This is close to the actual answer of 294, so the answer is reasonable.

Example 2: two-step problem (different operation)

A teacher ordered 8 new boxes of pencils for her classroom. Each box of pencils had 16 pencils. She decided to combine all of the pencils, and then split them evenly between the 4 student tables in the room. How many pencils will each table get?

First, you need to find the total number of pencils in all the boxes.

8 \times 16=x

Next, you need to divide the total number of pencils by the number of tables.

Each table will get 32 pencils.

8 \times 20= about 160 total pencils divided by 4 tables = about 40 pencils on each table. So the answer of 32 is reasonable.

Example 3: solving two-step word problems with fractions

A cookie recipe calls for \cfrac{1}{2} cup of white sugar and \cfrac{3}{4} cup of brown sugar.

The baker is making 6 batches of cookies. What is the total amount of sugar (white and brown) that will be used?

First, you need to add the amounts of sugar to find the total amount of sugar needed for 1 batch.

\cfrac{1}{2}+\cfrac{3}{4}=x

Next, you need to multiply the total amount of sugar by the number of batches being made.

x \times 6=s

7 \cfrac{1}{2} total cups of sugar will be needed for 6 batches of cookies.

\cfrac{1}{2} and \cfrac{3}{4} is a little more than 1 cup.

Since there will be 6, the answer will be more than 6 cups.

Therefore, the answer of 7 \cfrac{1}{2} cups is reasonable.

Example 4: solving two-step word problems with decimals

Chris makes \$12.50 an hour at his job at the roller skating rink. He worked 25 hours. After he got his paycheck, he spent \$65 on a new pair of shoes. How much money does he have left from his paycheck?

First, you need to find out how much money Chris’s paycheck was by multiplying the hourly rate by the number of hours he worked.

12.50 \times 25=x

Next, you need to subtract \$65 from the total paycheck amount.

Chris has \$247.50 left from his paycheck.

To estimate the amount of Chris’s paycheck, you can multiply 12 by 25. You could also multiply 12 by 30, but note this will be a high estimate.

12 \times 25=300-65 = \$235 which makes \$247.50 a reasonable answer.

Example 5: interpreting remainders in two-step division word problem

Five 5 th grade classes each have 24 students and 2 teachers attending a field trip. Each bus can hold 48 people. How many buses are needed to carry all of the students and teachers to the field trip?

First, you need to find out how many students and teachers are attending the field trip altogether. To do this, you will need to multiply 5 \times 26.

5 \times 26=x

Next, you need to divide the total number of people by the number of people each bus can carry.

x \div 48=b

Now that you have identified the steps, you can solve the equations in order.

For this problem, you will need to refer back to the question in order to interpret the remainder. It asks: How many buses are needed to carry all of the students and teachers to the field trip?

So in this word problem, the answer 2 \; R \, 34 represents 2 full buses with 34 people leftover. Since those 34 people also need a bus to ride to the field trip, you would round up the answer to 3 so that all people can attend the field trip.

3 buses are needed to carry all of the students and teachers to the field trip.

There are about 125 people attending the field trip (about 25 people \times 5 classes) and about 50 people can fit on a bus. 125 \div 50=2.5, so the answer of 3 buses is reasonable.

Example 6: interpreting remainders in two-step division word problems

Haruki had 39 books. He got 7 more books for his birthday. His bookshelf has 4 shelves. He wants to put the same number of books on each shelf and put the remaining books on top of his bookshelf. How many books will go on top of Haruki’s bookshelf?

First, you need to determine how many books Haruki has altogether.

So step 1 is to add to find the total number of books.

Next, you will need to divide the total number of books by the number of shelves Haruki has.

For this problem, you will need to refer back to the question in order to interpret the remainder. It asks: How many books will go on top of Haruki’s bookshelf?

So in this word problem, the remainder is your answer.

2 books will go on top of Haruki’s bookshelf.

Haruki has about 45 books that he wants to divide equally between 4 shelves, which means there would be about 11 books on each shelf with about 1 left over. So the answer of 2 books is reasonable.

Teaching tips for two-step word problems

• Begin with simple 2 -step word problems on math worksheets that involve familiar situations and basic operations. Gradually increase the complexity as learners gain confidence and understanding.
• Lesson plans should involve step-by-step problem-solving strategies, such as underlining important information, identifying keywords, and breaking the problem into smaller parts. Model how to solve each step before tackling the problem as a whole.
• Connect math word problems to real-life scenarios that are relevant and interesting to students. This can help them see the practical application of math and reasoning skills and increase engagement on word problem worksheets.
• Provide students with a template if needed to help them break down the problem into steps. You can also provide students with a printable answer key to check their work. If their answers do not match, they can go back to investigate and find the correct steps.
• Start with simple two-step word problems with 1 -digit numbers to allow students to focus on identifying the two steps. Then advance to 2 -digit and 3 -digit problems.

Easy mistakes to make

• Incorrect order of operations Students might perform operations in the wrong order, leading to incorrect solutions. It is imperative that students write their equations correctly to ensure the operations are performed in the correct order.
• Not checking the solution Sometimes, students may not take the time to review their solution to ensure it makes sense in the context of the problem. Checking the answer against the problem statement or using estimation to verify reasonableness can help catch errors.
• Missing a step or performing the steps in the wrong order Sometimes, students may misinterpret the problem statement, causing them to miss a step or mix up the order of steps. It’s crucial to carefully read and understand what the problem is asking for before attempting to solve it.

Related arithmetic lessons

• Skip counting
• Number sense
• Inverse operations
• Money word problems
• Calculator skills

Practice two-step word problem questions

1. Frankie has \$287 in her checking account. She spent \$56 on her phone bill and then spent \$39 at dinner. How much money is left in her account?

This is a two-step subtraction word problem, meaning each of the two steps involves subtraction.

1 st step: Subtract the amount spent on the phone bill.

2 nd step: Subtract the amount spent at dinner from what is left after step 1.

2. Elliot has 145 marbles in his collection. He lost 18 marbles and then bought 27 more. How many marbles does he have now?

154 marbles

190 marbles

136 marbles

100 marbles

This two-step word problem involves two different operations.

1 st step: Subtract the number of marbles Elliot lost.

2 nd step: Add the number of marbles Elliot bought to the total remaining marbles from step 1.

127 + 27 = 154 marbles

3. Mrs. Smith baked 24 cookies in the morning and 18 cookies in the afternoon. If she wants to pack them into bags of 6 cookies each, how many bags of cookies will she have in total?

1 st step: Find the total number of cookies Mrs. Smith baked.

2 nd step: Divide the total number of cookies by the number of cookies per bag to find the total number of bags.

42 \div 6=7 bags

4. Sarah has 15 comic books. She decides to buy 5 more comic books at the store. Each comic book costs \$3.50. If she also buys a poster for \$8, how much money will Sarah spend in total?

This two-step word problem involves two different operations. Also note that there is an extra bit of unnecessary information in the word problem (Sarah has 15 comic books).

1 st step: Determine the total cost of the comic books Sarah buys.

2 nd step: Add the amount spent on the poster to the total from step 1.

5. Libby is selling boxes of cookies for a fundraiser at her school. So far, she has sold 29 boxes of cookies for \$12 each. If she has a goal of raising \$400, how much more money does she need to earn?

1 st step: Multiply to find the amount Libby earned from selling 29 boxes of cookies.

2 nd step: Determine how much more money Libby needs to earn to reach her goal by subtracting the total from step 1 from her goal amount.

6. Georgio has 128 complete fossils in his collection. He donated 19 fossils to a local museum. He wants to arrange the rest of his fossils in a display case in his house. The display case has 7 shelves. If he wants to put the same number of fossils on each shelf, how many will go on each shelf?

1 st step: Subtract to find the number of fossils remaining after donating to the museum.

2 nd step: Determine how many fossils Georgio can put on each shelf by dividing the remaining fossils by the number of shelves.

Two-step word problems FAQs

To solve a two-step word problem, you must read the problem carefully before identifying each of the two steps. After identifying the two steps, you can write an equation. Then you will need to perform each step in the correct order before arriving at the final answer.

The next lessons are

• Properties of equality
• Types of numbers
• Rounding numbers
• Factors and multiples

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Two-step word problems.

Two-step word problems have three numbers which must be operated on separately, and in the right order. They take much more understanding of the problem than simple word problems because they provide the information in a less structured form.

• Addition, then Subtraction
• Addition, then Multiplication
• Addition, then Division
• Subtraction, then Addition
• Subtraction, then Multiplication
• Subtraction, then Division
• Multiplication, then Addition
• Multiplication, then Division

Free Printable Two-Step Word Problems Worksheets for 8th Grade

Math Two-Step Word Problems: Discover a collection of free printable worksheets tailored for Grade 8 students, designed to enhance their problem-solving skills and understanding of mathematical concepts. Developed by Quizizz, these resources are perfect for educators seeking effective teaching tools.

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Explore printable Two-Step Word Problems worksheets for 8th Grade

Two-Step Word Problems worksheets for Grade 8 are an essential resource for teachers looking to challenge their students and improve their math skills. These worksheets focus on math word problems that require students to use multiple steps to arrive at the correct solution. Covering a wide range of topics, including addition word problems, subtraction, multiplication, and division, these worksheets are designed to engage Grade 8 students and help them develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. By incorporating these worksheets into their lesson plans, teachers can provide their students with the opportunity to practice and hone their problem-solving skills, ultimately setting them up for success in higher-level math courses.

In addition to Two-Step Word Problems worksheets for Grade 8, Quizizz offers a comprehensive platform for teachers to access a variety of educational resources. Quizizz allows educators to create interactive quizzes, polls, and presentations that can be easily integrated into their lesson plans. With a vast library of pre-made quizzes and worksheets covering various subjects, including Math Word Problems and Addition Word Problems, teachers can save time and effort while ensuring their students receive quality instruction. Furthermore, Quizizz provides valuable insights into student performance, allowing teachers to identify areas where students may need additional support or practice. By utilizing Quizizz in conjunction with Two-Step Word Problems worksheets for Grade 8, teachers can create an engaging and effective learning environment that fosters mathematical proficiency and critical thinking skills.

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Two-Step Problems - All Operations

1. Read and analyze together to determine known and unknown information.

2. Discuss how to model.

3. Model and label diagrams.

4. Discuss and agree on the steps needed to solve.

5. Write equations and solve.

6. Assess the reasonableness of the solution (ask, “Does our answer make sense? How do we know?”).

7. Write a complete sentence to answer the question.

8. Prepare a mini-presentation to explain your work on directions 1–7. Prepare to answer clarifying questions from the group.

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Solve two-step word problems using the four operations. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding. This standard is limited to problems posed with whole numbers and having whole-number answers; students should know how to perform operations in the conventional order when there are no parentheses to specify a particular order (Order of Operations).

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